Using a wealth of archival material and interviews with Musk's former colleagues, Gibney has created a portrait of a man he believes meant well but has been corrupted by money and immense power.
The film, which was produced by HBO Documentaries, tells the story of a man who was initially considered a champion of the environment and who, with his electric car brand Tesla, led the fight against gasoline cars. He was idolized by many on the left. But when Tesla was threatened with prosecution, which could have led to Elon Musk ending up in prison, he turned to Donald Trump. A victory for Kamala Harris could have ended badly for Musk.
“Noble” corruption
Alex Gibney believes that Musk got caught up in what can be called “the corruption of the noble cause” - believing in something so strongly that any means are permissible. And that leads to corruption.
Musk himself did not want to appear in the film, and Gibney says it was difficult to get current employees to show up - “then I have to ask Elon for permission first,” was the answer.
I spoke to many people, but very few dared to speak to me.
One of the few who will participate is Ashley St Clair, an influencer who has a son with Musk. She is at the Venice Film Festival.
"I was offered $40 million not to run. But I wanted to be there, not least as an example for my son," she says, continuing to talk about Elon Musk.
He has the ability to show empathy when he wants to. But he doesn't want to. He chooses not to. He had a difficult and traumatic childhood, and the power he now has causes him to turn his traumas into cruelty.
Support the far right
In recent years, Elon Musk has increasingly actively supported far-right parties in Europe, among other places. Alex Gibney believes that this is for several reasons.
It's both a question of ideology and money. He's pushing an international right-wing agenda. It's power and money.
What role can a film like this play?
In today's world where news is spread via social media, it is important to have a film that wants to reach out, it is important to put together a narrative and tell about him, says Alex Gibney.
Name: Alex Gibney.
Age: 72.
Family: Wife Anne and three children.
Lives: In New York.
Occupation: Film director.
Previous films: "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room", "Taxi to the Dark Side", "Client 9", "The Greatest Sin", "The Armstrong Lie", "Caught by Scientology", "Billions", "Rolling Stone: Stories from the Edge", "Citizen K", "The Crime of the Century", "The Dark Money Game".
Current: With "Musk" screening at the Venice Film Festival. It is expected to premiere on HBO Max in 2027.
